S$1m grant to nudge building owners to provide proper rest areas for outsourced low-wage workers

• The Workcare grant is for building owners, service buyers to build or upgrade rest areas for outsourced workers
• They can get up to S$8,000 for new rest areas and S$3,000 for upgrading existing ones
• The move is expected to benefit more than 2,000 outsourced cleaners, security officers
• Right now, building owners generally do not provide outsourced low-wage workers with dedicated rest facilities
• A Nominated MP said the situation in private condominiums is “appalling”

SINGAPORE — More than 2,000 outsourced workers in essential services — including cleaners and security officers — are set to benefit from a S$1 million grant to nudge building owners to provide them with rest areas. 

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Friday (May 14) that the Workcare grant will help building owners and service buyers fund up to 80 per cent of the costs of building new rest areas or improving existing ones. 

The Workcare initiative, announced in 2019, seeks to improve the work environment of low-wage workers.

The grant will pave the way for outsourced workers to rest in spaces that could have features such as personalised lockers and pantries.

It is capped at S$8,000 for new rest areas and S$3,000 for upgrades to existing ones, MOM said.

The labour movement’s U Care Centre will administer the grant.

“(The grant) will encourage progressive building owners, service buyers and service providers to pilot solutions that improve the work environments of our essential-services workers,” MOM said.

Speaking to the media during a visit to Jurong Point mall to see a designated rest area for outsourced workers, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said: “It is perfectly okay to outsource the work. But we hope that the service buyers do not outsource the care and concern for the workers.”

Service buyers should think of ways to help their outsourced workers feel valued and appreciated, added Mrs Teo, who hands over the Manpower portfolio to Dr Tan See Leng on Saturday.

The move comes after MOM, the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation issued an advisory in 2019 that guides employers on the set-up of rest areas for employees.

It recommended ways to improve the conditions of these spaces, such as by providing lockers for workers to keep their belongings, access to drinking water and adequate ventilation.

Yet, anecdotally, uptake has been low among those who employ outsourced low-wage workers, such as cleaners, security officers and landscape workers.

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas, president of the Security Association Singapore who runs a security firm, told TODAY that with some exceptions, building owners or service buyers generally do not offer proper rest areas for outsourced workers.

Cleaners, he said, have resorted to resting in makeshift areas such as bin centres or the  corners of car parks. 

Security officers rest at the guardrooms — their place of work. This has sometimes given rise to misunderstandings that they are sleeping on the job, when the truth is that they are taking their breaks.

Mr Thomas said: “It is unfortunate that building owners tend to think that they do not need to provide proper facilities for these workers because they are outsourced, despite (the fact) that the workers work every day at the site.”

Mr Thomas, who is also a Nominated Member of Parliament, had in February urged the Government to deal with long-standing issues surrounding rest areas during the debate on the Budget statement. He also called for the building of staff rest areas to be considered at the design stage of new buildings.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Defence, speaking at Jurong Point as well, said that a survey by MOM of worksites found that 70 per cent provide some form of rest areas for workers.

“If you look at the trend, many employers and building owners actually provide rest areas and pantry spaces to their own workers. 

“But the challenge is that many times, they don’t cater to outsourced workers who are doing the work for them. I think they should be cared for in the same way,” he said. 

WHY OUTSOURCED WORKERS NEED REST AREAS 

On Friday, MOM also released findings from a pilot study that examined how town council cleaners were able to rest. 

Through visits, observations, interviews with town council staff members and outsourced cleaning-services providers, residents’ feedback, and testing of upgrades to rest areas, the research team found that:

• Outsourced workers are wary of negative perceptions of their work attitudes when seen resting or socialising with their co-workers in public places

• These workers often rest in unsafe or unsanitary spaces if they were not given rest areas

• Complaints by condominium residents, mall patrons and other users have a disproportionate effect on workers’ workload and can cause them undue stress if the feedback was not justified

• Treating workers with respect and appreciation reinforces their dignity and motivates them to go the extra mile

The study also found that private, designated rest areas, which allow outsourced workers to personalise the spaces, boosted their motivation and productivity at work. 

There were also opportunities for users to show their gratitude to these workers, such as a postbox for residents to leave notes of appreciation.

The researchers, nonetheless, found that while improvements to work environments such as rest areas are important, they will not guarantee more rest for workers unless they are given the permission to do so.

The research report concluded: “Rest areas are only as effective as the systems around them… Many of these lower-wage workers work for companies that provide services to office buildings, malls and condominiums. 

“And the managers of these spaces are, in turn, accountable to those who use them — people like you and me.

“(As users), we can play a more active role in demanding better work environments for these workers.”

Mr Thomas from the Security Association Singapore said that the new grant would help allay cost considerations, but building owners must take responsibility in caring for their outsourced workers. This requires a mindset shift.

He said: “Most building owners do not provide any dedicated rest facilities. The very few that do, however, tend to provide very good facilities — examples are (furniture store) Ikea and (government agency) JTC.”

Mr Andy Kau, general manager of Jurong Point, which offers four rest areas for outsourced cleaners and security officers, found that workers were appreciative of these spaces.

They use the rest areas to take a break, heat their packed meals, catch up with colleagues and wash up in the shower facilities during work or before heading home.

Nevertheless, Mr Thomas said that the provision of rest areas for outsourced workers in private condominiums was “appalling and needs to change”. 

The management teams at these condominiums, comprising residents, are typically the users themselves.

“Service providers like cleaning companies and security companies must insist that their clients provide proper rest areas, and should encourage them to avail themselves of this Workcare grant,” Mr Thomas said.